Yama's Daughter
by SUGARandSPICE1
Summary: In Squire, it mentions the Yamani Emperor putting to death bandits and their women and children. This is about the one survivor, a six year old girl, now almost 13.
1. Default Chapter

Prologue: I Remember  
  
I remember the Emperor of the Yamani Islands once put to death a group of bandits, and with them their ladies and children, down to the last squealing babe.  
  
The soldiers attacked a bandit camp before dawn, before they were properly awake, after the sentries had relaxed their guard. Some were armed with glaives and swords, but most with spears and throwing axes of the highest quality, throwing stars tipped with a poison used only by the Emperor's men. The bandits were outnumbered, but most of all their weapons were inferior, old and battered, and their training far less. It was over in a moment, I remember.  
  
One led the others in surrender, hoping to save the woman and young ones, but it did no good. Soldiers rounded up the others who had been hunting or foraging in the woods at dawn, so all were caught. Almost all.  
  
I remember. I was there, and I remember the smell of burning and dying and poisoned flesh, the cries of small children, sobs of women, sounds of a losing battle. I will always remember. I remember. 


	2. Chapter One, Yveta

TO those who reviewed: Most of all, thank you VERY much, Temptress! Someone was definitely tired the other day! Must have uploaded the wrong doc! *bangs head on wall*  
  
Talk about eggbrained…  
  
Ros, of course, thanks. I won't forget you! Lol! Anyway, so I was having a bit of a bad day, but only a bit! I like being overdramatic and flourish-y. And I have to do something serious SOMETIME!  
  
J-kid, sorry about my length incapability! I just have a think with short prologues…the one on Into Tortall with a Bang is even worse. I hope this one-which should have been up with the other!-is better. Thanks.  
  
Rambled long enough? Here goes.  
  
Chapter One, Yveta  
  
I never knew my father was a bad man. He would play with me in the evenings, and toss my brothers around. His face was lined with laughter, but also with worry. Late at night, he would drink till he stopped worrying, and my mother would worry instead. My father loved me, even though he was gruff, even though he sent me to do extra chores early in the morning. When I returned, he would be gone. I didn't know what he did in the day, so I never thought he was a bad man. In the day, I would play and learn. Play with the other children, and my brothers and sisters, learn about work and some self defense. My mother watched us play, and helped me learn. She was beautiful. Her father was a rich man, and the bandits kidnapped her from his country house. At the camp, she fell in love with the man who became my father. He loved her in return, and she was determined, stubborn, clever. They were married under the trees. My mother was not bad, but the emperor must have thought so.  
  
I was gathering wood, very early in the morning, when the soldiers attacked. Perhaps I could've-should've fought. I had no weapon, but I might have fought. Sometimes at night I wonder if it is my fault they are all dead. They are all dead, all captured, even the few who were also out early. I fled, I ran. Did I betray them? I have always been the best at hide and seek, always able to disappear. I can run almost as fast as Rarund, my brother, and he was the second fasted boy in the camp. My father would joke at night, when he had had just a little drink, that I would be a thief girl. He never meant it, of course. But he was right. So I ran fast, hid long, and my mourning only caught up with me after my sorrow that I had not learned more. Why had my father not taught me more of survival? Because I was young. Because I am a girl. Because he did not expect to die.  
  
That was six years a go. I am a girl, but not so young. My thirteenth birthday draws very close, though I am unsure of the exact day. My name is Yveta, and I live on the streets of Yama's City, near the capitol of the Yamani Islands. I am a thief girl, like my father predicted so long ago. I have taught myself to be as lightfingered as I am lightfooted, and have learned a bit more of weapons. I live alone.  
  
I probably swore some sort of oath of vengeance on the emperor, or his men, or someone. But on this particular day, I wasn't thinking about that, or my family. Mostly, I was thinking about how to get something to eat. It had been almost two days since I ate something substantial, and my stomach growled-loudly-in protest. It must have disturbed the Mother herself, because she sent me something to quiet my grumbling organs. A cartload of joggling wraps with a delicious smell passed, along with strange and very uncomfortable looking men. The cart and men bumped along, both clearly unused to slightly backwash roads. 'Toffs!' I thought to myself. 'Noble buffs.' No one would notice if one of those wraps wouldn't be noticed if it…fell off. I always considered 'jostle tricks' in poor taste, but I would have to cheat a bit on this one. Running out into the street, I 'accidentally' bumped into the cart. Slipping down in a self defense move, I grabbed a wrap, and kept to the wagon until a convenient alley passed. I darted down it, but was followed by a voice. "Stop, thief!" He couldn't have seen me! But they must have. Either that or…sorcery. "Stop in the name of Lord Yugosho Comon!" 'Great Mithros, what have I gotten myself into?!' Sounds of pursuit, but the men are old and fat, and have lived on grand wheels to long. But one is a sorcerer, and one of the best if he works for the lord of the city. He only tried one attempt at throwing a mage-trick at me, and I managed to dodge. Barely. What had I gotten myself into this time? 


End file.
